U.S. COVID-19 cases peak in six months with more than 100,000 Reuters counts

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Aug 5 (Reuters) – The United States hit a six-month high for new COVID cases with more than 100,000 infections reported on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as the Delta variant ravages areas where people do not ‘have not been vaccinated.

The country is reporting more than 94,819 cases in an average of seven days, a five-fold increase in less than a month, Reuters data showed through Wednesday. The seven-day average provides the most accurate picture of how fast cases are increasing, as some states only report infections once or twice a week. (Graph of cases and deaths in the United States)

In the coming weeks, cases could double to 200,000 per day due to the highly contagious Delta variant, America’s leading infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci said on Wednesday.

“If another comes along that has an equally high transmission capacity but is also much more serious, then we could really be in trouble,” Fauci said in an interview with McClatchy. “People who do not get the vaccine mistakenly think it is theirs. But it is not. It affects everyone, too.”

The Delta variant, first detected in India, accounts for 83% of all new cases reported in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vaccination rates vary widely from a high of 76% of Vermont residents receiving a first dose to a low of 40% in Mississippi, with polls showing Republicans are much less likely than Democrats to be vaccinated.

Unvaccinated people account for nearly 97% of severe cases, according to the White House COVID-19 response team.

Deaths, a lagging indicator, have jumped 33% over the past week, with about 377 deaths per day on average, according to the analysis.

Southern states, which have some of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, report the most COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Florida, Texas and Louisiana reported the highest total number of new cases in the region over the past week, according to a Reuters analysis. Read more

Hospitals in Florida and Louisiana are seeing record numbers of COVID patients occupying beds.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday urged Republican leaders in Florida and Texas – which are home to about a third of all new COVID-19 cases in the United States – to follow public health guidelines on the pandemic or ‘s’ discard ”. Read more

In an attempt to stop the spread of the virus, New York City will require proof of vaccination at restaurants, gyms and other businesses. About 60% of all New Yorkers have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to city data. But some areas, largely poor communities and communities of color, have much lower vaccination rates. Read more

Some private companies also mandate vaccines for employees and customers. Read more

The United States Food and Drug Administration plans to fully approve Pfizer’s COVID vaccine (PFE.N) by early September, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, which could prompt more Americans to get vaccinated. , as this could reduce their fears about the safety of the shot. Read more

Report by Roshan Abraham in Bangalore; Editing by Lisa Shumaker

Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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